1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to hitching a trailer behind a towing vehicle. The present invention is directed primarily towards tongue-and-ball type trailer hitches (also known as ball-and-socket type trailer hitches), and more particularly to an extendable hitching machine with a hitch ball. The extendable hitching machine can be manually extended rearward and sideways so that the hitch ball is aligned beneath the tongue of the trailer to be towed; once the trailer tongue is lowered over the hitch ball and engaged, the mated tongue-and-ball can be mechanically pulled close so that the hitching machine can be locked in its fully-retracted towing configuration.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Most commercial hitches have always utilized a tongue-and-ball connection wherein the ball is mounted in an upstanding manner on the towing vehicle, to be received and seated within an inverted socket on the trailer tongue. Trailers which have carried light tongue weights are not difficult to mount on the ball, since they can be easily lifted manually and guided over to engagement with the ball. However, trailers with higher tongue loads are very difficult to manually hitch to a stationary towing vehicle, but rather require the towing vehicle to maneuver the ball precisely under the stationary inverted socket of the tongue and then lower the tongue into engagement with the ball through the use of a screw jacket or similar device. When an individual attempts the vehicle alignment, it becomes very difficult since the individual cannot see from the driver's seat the alignment of the tongue and ball.
Devices to facilitate alignment of hitches and trailers have been available for several years. Known in the art are the following, arguably related to the patentability of the present invention: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,547,210 issued to Dugger; 5,011,176 to Eppinette; 4,944,525 to Landry; 5,342,076 to Swindall; 3,860,267 to Lyons; 4,991,865 to Francisco; 3,191,967 to Penk; 3,126,210 to Hill; 3,622,182 to Grosse-Rhode; 5,344,175 to Speer; 4,951,957 to Gullickson; 5,322,315, to Carsten; 4,792,153, to Galdes; and 4,211,428 to Barcus. None of the previous trailer hitch devices appear, however, to disclose a trailer hitching machine having a ball which is extendible both rearward and sideways in infinitely variable increments, and that facilitates movement of the trailer to the towing vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,210 issued to Dugger discloses a trailer hitch assembly comprising a pivoting sleeve downstanding below an arm received within a vehicle's trailer hitch receiver; the sleeve holds another arm (with a terminal hitch ball) capable of extending rearwardly toward a trailer tongue. The hitch ball may therefore be manually extended rearwardly, and pivoted to positioning beneath a trailer tongue within its sweep. The Dugger patent does not allow the user to mechanically pull the mated tongue-and-ball (and trailer) to any locked towing configuration. Moreover, the relatively short distance between the ground and the Dugger trailer hitch creates a clearance problem for many towing vehicles attempting to access boat loading ramps or attempting to navigate similar terrain.